Air plenum with leg height indicator

ABSTRACT

An air conditioning appliance includes a housing, a drain pan positioned below the housing along the vertical direction, and a plenum which is attached to the housing and to the drain pan. The drain pan includes a socket configured to receive a leg. The plenum includes an indicator mark which is aligned with the socket along the vertical direction when the drain pan is attached to the plenum.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter relates generally to air conditioningappliances, and more particularly to air plenums for air conditioningappliances.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Air conditioner or air conditioning appliance units are conventionallyutilized to adjust the temperature within structures such as dwellingsand office buildings. In particular, one-unit type room air conditionerunits, such as single-package vertical units (SPVU), or package terminalair conditioners (PTAC) may be utilized to adjust the temperature in,for example, a single room or group of rooms of a structure. A typicalone-unit type air conditioner or air conditioning appliance includes anindoor portion and an outdoor portion. The indoor portion generallycommunicates (e.g., exchanges air) with the area within a building, andthe outdoor portion generally communicates (e.g., exchanges air) withthe area outside a building. Accordingly, the air conditioner unitgenerally extends through, for example, an outer wall of the structure.Generally, a fan may be operable to rotate to motivate air through theindoor portion. Another fan may be operable to rotate to motivate airthrough the outdoor portion. A sealed cooling system including acompressor is generally housed within the air conditioner unit to treat(e.g., cool or heat) air as it is circulated through, for example, theindoor portion of the air conditioner unit. One or more control boardsare typically provided to direct the operation of various elements ofthe particular air conditioner unit.

Some conventional air conditioning appliances include a plenum fordirecting air to or from an outdoor portion of the air conditioningappliance. When installed, the plenum may be positioned through a wallof the building or structure. The wall may be an outer wall such thatthe plenum extends from an interior portion of the building to anexterior portion of the building. Thus, a portion of the plenum willoften extend to and be visible from an area outside of the building.However, it is generally preferable (e.g., for aesthetics, support,sizing, performance, etc.) to minimize the amount of plenum exposed tothe exterior environment.

The lack of standard wall positions (e.g., height relative to the floor)for plenums across various installations makes connecting and supportingthe remainder of the air conditioner unit difficult. For example, theremainder of the air conditioner unit must be aligned with the plenum ina specific way. In some instances, the plenum may be positioned at aheight in the wall such that the bottom of the air conditioner unit,such as a drain pan of the air conditioner unit, may rest directly onthe floor. However, in other instances, the plenum may be positioned inthe wall such that when the remainder of the air conditioner unit isproperly aligned with the plenum, the remainder of the air conditionerunit is above the floor and is thus unsupported.

Typically, a platform may be constructed to support the remainder of theair conditioner unit when the plenum is located in the wall such thatthe remainder of the air conditioner unit is positioned above the floor.Because the installation height of the plenum through the wall variesfrom case to case, and even from room to room in some installations, theplatform must be bespoke for each air conditioner unit. Additionally,such platforms are often constructed out of whatever scrap material maybe presently at hand at the time of installation. Moreover, bespokeconstruction of the platform can be difficult and time-consuming inorder to reach the correct height to position the remainder of the airconditioner unit above the floor and in the proper alignment with theplenum, e.g., the air conditioner unit may have to be installed, placedon a temporary support, and then measured to determine the needed heightof the platform, before taking the remainder of the air conditioner unit(i.e., other than the plenum which is mounted in the wall) down in orderto build the platform. Further, inasmuch as the platform is bespoke toeach unit, this entire process must be repeated for each and every unit,which can add significant time to a multi-unit project such as a hotelor apartment building.

As a result, further improvements to air conditioners may beadvantageous. In particular, it would be useful to provide a plenum withfeatures for improved ease of installation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in thefollowing description, or may be obvious from the description, or may belearned through practice of the invention.

In one exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, an air conditionerunit is provided. The air conditioner unit defines amutually-perpendicular vertical direction, lateral direction, andtransverse direction. The air conditioner unit includes a housing thatdefines an outdoor portion and an indoor portion. An outdoor heatexchanger assembly is disposed in the outdoor portion. The outdoor heatexchanger assembly includes an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoorfan. An indoor heat exchanger assembly is disposed in the indoorportion. The indoor heat exchanger assembly includes an indoor heatexchanger and an indoor fan. A compressor is in fluid communication withthe outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger to circulate arefrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heatexchanger. A drain pan is positioned below the housing along thevertical direction. The drain pan includes a socket configured toreceive a leg. The socket is defined between an open end and a topsurface such that the socket extends along the vertical direction fromthe open end to the top surface. A plenum is attached to the housing andto the drain pan. The plenum is receivable within a wall channel definedby a structure wall along an axial direction. The plenum includes amating surface defined on an interior portion of the plenum. The matingsurface is perpendicular to the transverse direction and is configuredto mate with the indoor portion of the housing and with the drain pan.The plenum also includes an indicator mark aligned with the top surfaceof the socket along the vertical direction when the drain pan isattached to the plenum.

In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, a plenum for anair conditioning appliance is provided. The air conditioning applianceincludes a housing and a drain pan positioned below the housing with asocket configured to receive a leg defined in the drain pan. The plenumis receivable within a wall channel defined by a structure wall along anaxial direction. The plenum includes a mating surface defined on aninterior portion of the plenum. The mating surface is configured to matewith the indoor portion of the housing and with the drain pan. Anindicator mark is positioned and configured to align with the socketalong a vertical direction when the drain pan is attached to the plenum.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdescription and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which areincorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrateembodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serveto explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including thebest mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is setforth in the specification, which makes reference to the appendedfigures.

FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of an air conditioning applianceaccording to one or more exemplary embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 2 provides an enlarged view of a portion of the exemplary airconditioner unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 provides a section view of the air conditioning appliance of FIG.1.

FIG. 4 provides a perspective view of a plenum such as may beincorporated with the air conditioning appliance of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention,one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Eachexample is provided by way of explanation of the invention, notlimitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be madein the present invention without departing from the scope of theinvention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part ofone embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a stillfurther embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present inventioncovers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

As used herein, the terms “includes” and “including” are intended to beinclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising.” Similarly, theterm “or” is generally intended to be inclusive (i.e., “A or B” isintended to mean “A or B or both”). The terms “upstream” and“downstream” refer to the relative flow direction with respect to fluidflow in a fluid pathway. For example, “upstream” refers to the flowdirection from which the fluid flows, and “downstream” refers to theflow direction to which the fluid flows.

As used herein, terms of approximation, such as “generally,” or “about”include values within ten percent greater or less than the stated value.When used in the context of an angle or direction, such terms includewithin ten degrees greater or less than the stated angle or direction.For example, “generally vertical” includes directions within ten degreesof vertical in any direction, e.g., clockwise or counter-clockwise.

Turning now to the figures, FIGS. 1 through 3 illustrate an exemplaryair conditioner appliance (e.g., air conditioner 100). As shown, airconditioner 100 may be provided as a one-unit type air conditioner 100,such as a single-package vertical unit. Air conditioner 100 includes apackage housing 114 supporting an indoor portion 112 and an outdoorportion 110.

Generally, air conditioner 100 defines a vertical direction V, lateraldirection L, and transverse direction T. Each direction V, L, T isperpendicular to each other, such that an orthogonal coordinate systemis generally defined.

In some embodiments, housing 114 contains various other components ofthe air conditioner 100. Housing 114 may include, for example, a rearopening 116 (e.g., with or without a grill or grate thereacross) and afront opening 118 (e.g., with or without a grill or grate thereacross)may be spaced apart from each other along the transverse direction T.The rear opening 116 may be part of the outdoor portion 110, while thefront opening 118 is part of the indoor portion 112. Components of theoutdoor portion 110, such as an outdoor heat exchanger 120, outdoor fan124, and compressor 126 may be enclosed within housing 114 between frontopening 118 and rear opening 116. In certain embodiments, one or morecomponents of outdoor portion 110 are mounted on a base 136, as shown.The base 136 may be received within a drain pan 300.

During certain operations, air 1000 may be drawn to outdoor portion 110through rear opening 116. Specifically, an outdoor inlet 128 definedthrough housing 114 may receive outdoor air 1000 motivated by outdoorfan 124. Within housing 114, the received outdoor air 1000 may bemotivated through or across outdoor fan 124. Moreover, at least aportion of the outdoor air 1000 may be motivated through or acrossoutdoor heat exchanger 120 before exiting the rear opening 116 at anoutdoor outlet 130. It is noted that although outdoor inlet 128 isillustrated as being defined above outdoor outlet 130, alternativeembodiments may reverse this relative orientation (e.g., such thatoutdoor inlet 128 is defined below outdoor outlet 130) or provideoutdoor inlet 128 beside outdoor outlet 130 in a side-by-sideorientation, or another suitable orientation.

As shown, indoor portion 112 may include an indoor heat exchanger 122, ablower fan 142, and a heating unit 132. These components may, forexample, be housed behind the front opening 118. A bulkhead 134 maygenerally support or house various other components or portions thereofof the indoor portion 112, such as the blower fan 142. Bulkhead 134 maygenerally separate and define the indoor portion 112 and outdoor portion110 within housing 114. Additionally or alternatively, bulkhead 134 orindoor heat exchanger 122 may be mounted on base 136 (e.g., at a highervertical position than outdoor heat exchanger 120), as shown.

During certain operations, air 1002 may be drawn to indoor portion 112through front opening 118. Specifically, an indoor inlet 138 definedthrough housing 114 may receive indoor air 1002 motivated by blower fan142. At least a portion of the indoor air 1002 may be motivated throughor across indoor heat exchanger 122 (e.g., before passing to bulkhead134). From blower fan 142, indoor air 1002 may be motivated (e.g.,across heating unit 132) and returned to the indoor area of the roomthrough an indoor outlet 140 defined through housing 114 (e.g., aboveindoor inlet 138 along the vertical direction V). Optionally, one ormore conduits (not pictured) may be mounted on or downstream from indooroutlet 140 to further guide air 1002 from air conditioner 100. It isnoted that although indoor outlet 140 is illustrated as generallydirecting air upward, it is understood that indoor outlet 140 may bedefined in alternative embodiments to direct air in any other suitabledirection.

Outdoor and indoor heat exchanger 120, 122 may be components of athermodynamic assembly (i.e., sealed system), which may be operated as arefrigeration assembly (and thus perform a refrigeration cycle) or, inthe case of the heat pump unit embodiment, a heat pump (and thus performa heat pump cycle). Thus, as is understood, exemplary heat pump unitembodiments may be selectively operated perform a refrigeration cycle atcertain instances (e.g., while in a cooling mode) and a heat pump cycleat other instances (e.g., while in a heating mode). By contrast,exemplary A/C exclusive unit embodiments may be unable to perform a heatpump cycle (e.g., while in the heating mode), but still perform arefrigeration cycle (e.g., while in a cooling mode).

The sealed system may, for example, further include compressor 126(e.g., mounted on base 136) and an expansion device (e.g., expansionvalve or capillary tube—not pictured), both of which may be in fluidcommunication with the heat exchangers 120, 122 to flow refrigeranttherethrough, as is generally understood. The outdoor and indoor heatexchanger 120, 122 may each include coils 146, 148, as illustrated,through which a refrigerant may flow for heat exchange purposes, as isgenerally understood.

As will be further described in detail below, a plenum 200 may beprovided to direct air to or from housing 114. When installed, plenum200 may be selectively attached to (e.g., fixed to or mounted against)housing 114 (e.g., via a suitable mechanical fastener, adhesive, gasket,etc.) and extend through a structure wall 150 (e.g., an outer wall ofthe structure within which air conditioner 100 is installed) and above afloor 151. In particular, plenum 200 extends along an axial direction X(e.g., parallel to the transverse direction T) through a hole or channel152 in the structure wall 150 that passes from an internal surface 154to an external surface 156.

The operation of air conditioner 100 including compressor 126 (and thusthe sealed system generally), blower fan 142, outdoor fan 124, heatingunit 132, and other suitable components may be controlled by a controlboard or controller 158. Controller 158 may be in communication (via forexample a suitable wired or wireless connection) to such components ofthe air conditioner 100. By way of example, the controller 158 mayinclude a memory and one or more processing devices such asmicroprocessors, CPUs or the like, such as general or special purposemicroprocessors operable to execute programming instructions ormicro-control code associated with operation of air conditioner 100. Thememory may be a separate component from the processor or may be includedonboard within the processor. The memory may represent random accessmemory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM or FLASH.

Air conditioner 100 may additionally include a control panel 160 and oneor more user inputs 162, which may be included in control panel 160. Theuser inputs 162 may be in communication with the controller 158. A userof the air conditioner 100 may interact with the user inputs 162 tooperate the air conditioner 100, and user commands may be transmittedbetween the user inputs 162 and controller 158 to facilitate operationof the air conditioner 100 based on such user commands. A display 164may additionally be provided in the control panel 160, and may be incommunication with the controller 158. Display 164 may, for example be atouchscreen or other text-readable display screen, or alternatively maysimply be a light that can be activated and deactivated as required toprovide an indication of, for example, an event or setting for the airconditioner 100.

Turning now specifically to FIG. 2, an enlarged view of a portion ofFIG. 1 is provided in order to illustrate attachment of the drain pan300 to the plenum 200 according to at least one example embodiment. Asshown in FIG. 2, the drain pan 300 may include a hook 310 and the plenum200 may include a slot 262. The hook 310 and the slot 262 may beconfigured to engage and thereby attach the drain pan 300 to the plenum200. With the drain pan 300 so attached to the plenum 200, the drain pan300 is supported on one side or one end thereof by the plenum 200, e.g.,when the plenum 200 is installed within and through the wall 150, asillustrated in FIG. 3.

Also as may be seen in FIG. 3, in some instances when the plenum 200 isinstalled within the wall 150 above the floor 151, the remainder of theair conditioner unit 100 may be suspended or cantilevered from theplenum 200, e.g., supported by the hook 310. In order to avoid this andthereby minimize or avoid damage to the hook 310, one or more supportlegs 307 and/or 308 may be provided between the drain pan 300 and thefloor 151. Where the installation height of the plenum 200 above thefloor 151 varies, the required height of the leg(s) 307 and/or 308 willalso vary. Thus, the leg(s) 307 and/or 308 may be cut in the field andcustom-fitted to the specific installation. In order to aid indetermining the correct length of the leg(s) 307 and/or 308, one or moreindicator marks 280 may be provided on the plenum 200, as will bedescribed in more detail below.

The drain pan 300 may include one or more sockets which are configuredto receive the leg(s) 307 and/or 308. For example, as illustrated inFIG. 3, the drain pan 300 may include a first socket 301 and a secondsocket 302. As will be appreciated from FIGS. 2 and 3, the socket(s) 301and/or 302 are positioned opposite the hook 310 along the transversedirection T. For example, the hook 310 may be positioned at a firsttransverse end of the drain pan 300 and the socket(s) 301/302 may bepositioned opposite the hook 310 at or near a second transverse end ofthe drain pan 300.

In various embodiments, one or both of the sockets 301 and 302 may beprovided. In some embodiments, each socket 301 and 302 may be one of apair of matching shaped sockets which are spaced apart along the lateraldirection L and aligned along the transverse direction T. Thus, possiblecombinations include, for example, one pair of first sockets 301, onepair of second sockets 302, or two pairs of sockets, e.g., a pair offirst sockets 301 and a pair of second sockets 302.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the first socket 301 is defined between anopen end 303 and a top surface 305. The open end 303 and the top surface305 are spaced apart along the vertical direction V such that the firstsocket 301 extends along the vertical direction V from the open end 303to the top surface 305. Similarly, the second socket 302 is definedbetween an open end 304 and a top surface 306. The open end 304 and thetop surface 306 are spaced apart along the vertical direction V suchthat the second socket 302 extends along the vertical direction V fromthe open end 304 to the top surface 306. When a leg or legs 307, 308is/are received in the corresponding socket(s) 301, 302, the top of theor each leg 307, 308 will abut the or each top surface 305, 306. Thus,the indicator mark 280 on the plenum 200 may be aligned with the topsurface(s) 305, 306 of the socket(s) 301, 302 along the verticaldirection V when the drain pan 300 is attached to the plenum 200, suchthat when the plenum 200 is installed into and through the wall 150, theindicator mark 280 on the plenum 200 will be the same height above thefloor 151 as the top of the leg(s) 307/308, such that an installer canuse the indicator mark 280 to determine where to cut the material forthe leg(s) 307/308 before the remainder of the air conditioner unit 100is installed, e.g., without having to temporarily install the housing114 and drain pan 300 and measure the leg(s) 307/308 directly on thedrain pan 300 while the drain pan 300 is temporarily installed.

The material for the leg(s) 307/308 may be any suitable material whichis strong enough to bear the weight of the housing 114 and drain pan300. For example, materials which are likely to be readily availableduring installation of the air conditioner unit and which can besuitable for forming the leg(s) 307/308 include building materials suchas lumber, e.g., dimensional lumber such as a nominaltwo-inch-by-four-inch board, commonly referred to as a two-by-four, orplumbing, e.g., PVC piping having sufficient size (e.g., outer diameter,wall thickness, etc.). Thus, in some embodiments, the socket, e.g.,first socket 301, may have a rectangular cross-section and may therebybe configured to receive a leg 307 made of lumber, such as a two-by-fourleg, a two-by-six leg, or a four-by-four leg, etc. Additionally, in someembodiments, the socket, e.g., the second socket 302, may be cylindricaland may thereby be configured to receive a round, e.g., cylindrical, leg308, such as a piece of piping, e.g., a PVC pipe as mentioned above, or,as another example, a steel pipe or other tubular leg 308.

Turning now to FIG. 4, an exemplary plenum 200 will be described ingreater detail. FIG. 4 provides a perspective view of plenum 200 inisolation for clarity. In particular, FIG. 4 provides a frontperspective of the plenum 200 including a mating surface 272 thereofwhich corresponds to and is configured to mate, e.g., sealingly engage,with a mating surface of the housing 114. The mating surface 272 lies ina lateral-vertical plane, e.g., a plane defined by the verticaldirection V and the lateral direction L. The lateral-vertical plane isthus perpendicular to the transverse direction T and the axial directionX.

Although shown as a single piece in FIG. 4, it is noted that the plenum200 may be telescopic in some embodiments, e.g., as illustrated in FIG.3, where the interior portion 210 and exterior portion 212 are providedas two separate pieces in sliding engagement (e.g., such that exteriorportion 212 is movable along the axial direction X on interior portion210). For instance, at least one of interior portion 210 and exteriorportion 212 may be selectively nested within each other (e.g., such thatthe nested member is surrounded about the axial direction X, at least inpart, by the receiving member).

The plenum 200 includes a duct wall 216 that is formed about the axialdirection X (e.g., when mounted through wall channel 152). Duct wall 216may be formed according to any suitable hollow shape, such as conduithaving a rectangular profile (shown), defining an air channel 214 toguide air therethrough. Moreover, duct wall 216 may be formed from anysuitable non-permeable material (e.g., steel, aluminum, or a suitablepolymer) for directing or guiding air therethrough.

The interior portion 210 of the plenum 200 may be selectively attachedto housing 114. Specifically, interior portion 210 may be mountedproximal to outdoor portion 110 of the housing 114 or distal to indoorportion 112 of the housing 114. In some such embodiments, interiorportion 210 is fixed to or mounted against housing 114 (e.g., via one ormore suitable mechanical fasteners, adhesives, gasket, etc.) about atleast a portion of rear opening 116. The duct wall 216 of interiorportion 210 may surround, for instance, outdoor outlet 130. Additionallyor alternatively, the duct wall 216 of interior portion 210 may surroundoutdoor inlet 128.

In certain embodiments, interior portion 210 further includes an outerflange 220 that extends in a radial direction (e.g., perpendicular tothe axial direction X) from duct wall 216. Specifically, outer flange220 extends radially outward (e.g., away from at least a portion of theaxial direction X or the duct wall 216 of interior portion 210). Outerflange 220 may thus avoid interference an airflow or flow path withinair channel 214.

Outer flange 220 may extend radially outward from all or, alternatively,merely a portion of, duct wall 216. For instance, as shown in theexemplary embodiments, outer flange 220 extends from a top end 222 ofthe duct wall 216 of the plenum 200. In the illustrated embodiments,outer flange 220 also extends from both sides 230, 232 of the duct wall216 of the plenum 200. It is understood, however, that alternativeembodiments, may provide outer flange 220 at another (e.g., one or more)suitable locations along the profile of the duct wall 216 of the plenum200. Optionally, an internal plate 221 may extend radially inward fromduct wall 216 (e.g., at or from the bottom end 238), such that asub-portion (i.e., less than a whole) of air channel 214 is obstructed.

When assembled, outer flange 220 may be placed against (e.g., in director indirect contact with) an internal surface 154 of the structure wall150. Thus, outer flange 220 may be located in or pressed into engagementwith the internal surface 154 as at least a portion of duct wall 216extends through wall channel 152 (e.g., while housing 114 is heldopposite the duct wall 216, such as within an interior or indoor area ofthe structure).

As shown, the duct wall 216 at the exterior portion 212 has an innersurface directed toward air channel 214 or interior portion 210, as wellas an outer surface 246 directed away from air channel 214 or interiorportion 210. In certain embodiments, outer surface 246 is provided as aflange-less outer surface 246 at the exterior portion 212, e.g., atleast from an axial midpoint of the plenum 216 which defines theinterior portion 210 and exterior portion 212 of the plenum 200. Forexample, the outer surface 246 may be flange-less at least in that theouter surface 246 does not include a flange or any other projectionwhich extends radially outward therefrom between the axial midpoint andan outer end 250 of the exterior portion 212. The duct wall 216 may begenerally parallel to, for example, axial direction X or transversedirection T and free of any flanges or obstruction thereon (e.g., asprovided in conventional plenums), at least at the exterior portion 212thereof (e.g., where the outer flange 220 is provided on the interiorportion 210).

When assembled, exterior portion 212, including flange-less outersurface 246, may extend through (e.g., selectively pass through) wallchannel 152 along the axial direction X. Advantageously, exteriorportion 212 may pass through wall channel 152 (e.g., move relativethereto) without striking or contacting either the internal surface 154or external surface 156 of structure wall 150). In some suchembodiments, the outer end 250 is selectively held or positioned outsideof wall channel 152, such as beyond the external surface 156 thereof(e.g., in an ambient environment opposite of housing 114 relative tostructure wall 150). Optionally, a caulk bead 252 (i.e., adhesive orsealant caulk) may be positioned on or along at least a portion of theflange-less outer surface 246 and join outer surface 246 to the externalsurface 156 of structure wall 150 (e.g., about or outside from wallchannel 152).

In some embodiments, plenum 200 includes a divider wall 256 within airchannel 214. When assembled, divider wall 256 defines a separate upperpassage 258 and lower passage 260. For instance, divider wall 256 mayextend along the lateral direction L from one lateral side of plenum 200to the other lateral side. Generally, upper passage 258 and lowerpassage 260 may divide or define two discrete air flow paths for airchannel 214. For instance, upper passage 258 may be defined withinplenum 200 between divider wall 256 and interior portion 210 or exteriorportion 212. Similarly, lower passage 260 may be defined within plenum200 between divider wall 256 and interior portion 210 or exteriorportion 212 (e.g., below upper passage 258 along the vertical directionV). When assembled, upper passage 258 and lower passage 260 may befluidly isolated by divider wall 256 (e.g., such that air is preventedfrom passing directly between passages 258 and 260 through divider wall256, or another portion of plenum 200). Upper passage 258 may bepositioned upstream from outdoor inlet 128. Lower passage 260 may bepositioned downstream from outdoor outlet 130.

As mentioned above, the plenum 200 may define a mating surface 272. Themating surface 272 may surround and enclose the air channel 214 on allsides, such as both the upper passage 258 and the lower passage 260 ofthe air channel 214. For example, as may be seen in FIG. 4, the matingsurface 272 may include an upper segment 274 positioned above the upperpassage 258 and the lower passage 260 along the vertical direction V, alower segment 276 positioned below the upper passage 258 and the lowerpassage 260 along the vertical direction V, a first side 278 segmentextending along the vertical direction V from the upper segment 274 tothe lower segment 276, and a second side segment 280 extending along thevertical direction V from the upper segment 274 to the lower segment276. The upper segment 274 may extend along the lateral direction L. Theupper segment 274 may encompass the upper passage 258 and the lowerpassage 260 along the lateral direction, e.g., the upper segment 274 mayextend over a greater lateral distance than the upper passage 258 andthe lower passage 260 and may be positioned relative to the upperpassage 258 and the lower passage 260 such that the upper passage 258and the lower passage 260 are entirely overlapped by the upper segment274 along the lateral direction L. The lower segment 276 may also extendalong the lateral direction L and encompass the upper passage 258 andthe lower passage 260 along the lateral direction L, where “encompass”is used in the same sense with respect to the lower segment 276 asdefined above with respect to the upper segment 274. The first sidesegment 278 and the second side segment 280 may be positioned oppositeanother along the lateral direction L such that the upper passage 258and the lower passage 260 are between the first side segment 278 and thesecond side segment 280 along the lateral direction L. In someembodiments, the upper segment 274, the first side segment 278, and thesecond side segment 280 of the mating surface 272 may be defined on theouter flange 220 of the interior portion 210. Additionally, the lowersegment 276 of the mating surface 272 may be at least partially definedon the internal plate 221, e.g., the lower segment 276 may extendlaterally across the internal plate 221 and may extend past the internalplate 221 onto the outer flange 220 at least one end of the lowersegment 276.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the indicator mark 280may be oriented generally along the lateral direction L. The indicatormark 280 may be positioned on the mating surface 272, such as on thelower segment 276 thereof. In some embodiments, the indicator mark 280may be provided on the outer flange 220 as illustrated in FIG. 4. Inother embodiments, the indicator mark 280 may also or instead bepositioned on the internal plate 221. In some embodiments, more than oneindicator mark 280 may be provided. For example, as illustrated in FIG.4, two indicator marks 280 may be provided, and the indicator marks 280may be aligned with the socket(s) 301/302 along the lateral direction Las well as along the vertical direction V, e.g., where, as mentionedabove, the or each socket 301 and/or 302 is one of a pair of sockets atlaterally opposing corners of the drain pan 300.

The indicator mark 280 may be formed on the mating surface 272 in anysuitable manner. For example, the indicator mark 280 may be recessedinto the mating surface 272, e.g., the indicator mark 280 may comprise agroove in the mating surface, such as by etching the indicator mark 280into the mating surface 272. In other embodiments, the indicator markmay be proud of the mating surface 272, e.g., the indicator mark 280 mayextend from the mating surface 272 along the transverse direction T,e.g., away from the exterior portion 212 of the plenum 200. For example,the indicator mark 280 may be embossed onto the mating surface 272. Inother embodiments, the indicator mark 280 may be positioned entirely onthe mating surface 272. For example, the indicator mark 280 may bepainted or printed on the mating surface 272. Additionally, variouscombinations of the foregoing examples are also possible, e.g., aportion of the indicator mark 280 may be etched into the mating surface272 and another portion of the indicator mark 280 may be painted on themating surface 272.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the invention, including making and using any devices orsystems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope ofthe invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examplesthat occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intendedto be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elementsthat do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if theyinclude equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differencesfrom the literal languages of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An air conditioner unit defining amutually-perpendicular vertical direction, lateral direction, andtransverse direction, the single-package air conditioner unitcomprising: a housing defining an outdoor portion and an indoor portion;an outdoor heat exchanger assembly disposed in the outdoor portion andcomprising an outdoor heat exchanger and an outdoor fan; an indoor heatexchanger assembly disposed in the indoor portion and comprising anindoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan; a compressor in fluidcommunication with the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heatexchanger to circulate a refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchangerand the indoor heat exchanger; a drain pan positioned below the housingalong the vertical direction, the drain pan comprising a socketconfigured to receive a leg, the socket defined between an open end anda top surface such that the socket extends along the vertical directionfrom the open end to the top surface; and a plenum attached to thehousing and to the drain pan, the plenum receivable within a wallchannel defined by a structure wall along an axial direction, the plenumcomprising: a mating surface defined on an interior portion of theplenum, the mating surface perpendicular to the transverse direction andconfigured to mate with the indoor portion of the housing and with thedrain pan; and an indicator mark aligned with the top surface of thesocket along the vertical direction when the drain pan is attached tothe plenum.
 2. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein the drainpan comprises a hook configured to engage a slot in the mating surfaceof the plenum and thereby attach the drain pan to the plenum.
 3. The airconditioner unit of claim 2, wherein the socket and the hook arepositioned opposite one another on the drain pan along the transversedirection.
 4. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein the sockethas a rectangular cross-section and is configured to receive atwo-by-four leg.
 5. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein thesocket is cylindrical and is configured to receive a tubular leg.
 6. Theair conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein the indicator mark is recessedinto the mating surface.
 7. The air conditioner unit of claim 6, whereinthe indicator mark is etched into the mating surface.
 8. The airconditioner unit of claim 1, wherein the indicator mark extends from themating surface along the transverse direction.
 9. The air conditionerunit of claim 8, wherein the indicator mark is embossed onto the matingsurface.
 10. The air conditioner unit of claim 1, wherein the indicatormark is positioned on the mating surface.
 11. The air conditioner unitof claim 10, wherein the indicator mark is painted on the matingsurface.
 12. A plenum for an air conditioning appliance, the airconditioning appliance comprising a housing and a drain pan positionedbelow the housing with a socket configured to receive a leg defined inthe drain pan, the plenum being receivable within a wall channel definedby a structure wall along an axial direction, the plenum comprising: amating surface defined on an interior portion of the plenum, the matingsurface configured to mate with the indoor portion of the housing andwith the drain pan; and an indicator mark positioned and configured toalign with the socket along a vertical direction when the drain pan isattached to the plenum.
 13. The plenum of claim 12, further comprising aslot configured to receive a hook of the drain pan and thereby attachthe drain pan to the plenum.
 14. The plenum of claim 12, wherein theindicator mark is recessed into the mating surface.
 15. The plenum ofclaim 14, wherein the indicator mark is etched into the mating surface.16. The plenum of claim 12, wherein the indicator mark extends from themating surface away from the exterior portion of the plenum.
 17. Theplenum of claim 16, wherein the indicator mark is embossed onto themating surface.
 18. The plenum of claim 12, wherein the indicator markis positioned on the mating surface.
 19. The plenum of claim 18, whereinthe indicator mark is painted on the mating surface.